Easy read with many tips on how to "feel good" in all areas of your life. Some ideas are unique but very doable and easy to implement and other ideas are common ones heard before but bare taking action on. Many people will find the book uplifting and energizing.

I found this to be a wonderful book and highly recommend to anyone interested in improved well-being and emotional health, especially those who struggle with being a perfectionist or an all-or-nothing mentality. This book was very easy to read and I found the advice to be practical. I look forward to more from Robyn Conley Downs.

Thank you, Crown Publishing and NetGalley, for a digital ARC!

I had high hopes for this book but I found it really hard to get through and not ultimately very helpful. Another reviewer noted: "The second thing that caught my attention is how branded everything feels... She points to the work of well-known researchers — Brené Brown’s work on shame and perfectionism; Kristin Neff’s on self-compassion — and then repackages it, staples it together, and slaps a bunch of Capitalized Titles on it. I found this somewhat of a turnoff; at several points in the book I felt like I was being advertised something, or sitting in on a multi-level marketing seminar."

That's exactly how I felt, like I was reading some sort of incredibly long infomercial. None of the concepts struck me as particularly novel at all, and it turns out I do most of what she preaches anyway. I had the feeling halfway through that one page might have helpful tips for me to get working on my writing again, but I was so bored by the book that I didn't bother to make notes or anything. For the most part, it just seemed like she was trying desperately to sell me something and that the whole thing could have been summed up in a blog post.

I suspect that it could be quite useful for younger readers and those who are really struggling with issues of perfectionism, comparison, etc. and who are not familiar with the authors she pulled from, though. If you like diagrams and lots of back story, you're likely to enjoy it.

I read a digital ARC of this book for review.

Thank you to Crown Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.
I had the opportunity to interview Robyn on my podcast, Minimalist Moms. Her approach to health is one that I can get on board with- it's a true, mind-body approach. I could see most women working their way through this book, highlighting passage and taking notes. It's, for sure, one to return in throughout various seasons of life.

In THE FEEL GOOD EFFECT, Robyn Conley Downs shares hard-won wisdom that she earned the hard way, by living the prevailing stories of striving, pushing and shoving yourself around to create and maintain the illusion of effortless perfection. Her excellent book and gentle suggestions to align, integrate, and rethink the way you live felt like a long conversation with a wise, kind friend over a cup of tea. By the end of the book, I was stronger, wiser, more clear about what I value and what I genuinely want to accomplish. This clear, well-crafted guide to change is one of the best books I've read in a very, very long time. My deepest appreciation to Downs, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing me the chance to read an advance reader copy of Downs' book in exchange for my unbiased review.

The Feel Good Effect by Robyn Conley Downs is a self-help book written to help the reader simplify all the current research and practices that improve wellness and life and provides a framework for that research. The author opens with her background and breaks down many of the myths and unhelpful approaches to wellness, which was so simple but is frequently ignored in other books. I appreciate the author understands the reader will not follow each aspect perfectly all the time and instead encourages the reader to "take what you need and leave the rest". The writing is easy to read and the infographics included in the chapter were visually attractive yet easy to read. As a researcher, I can tell she is well-read and knows how to make helpful figures. I also appreciate the author includes a challenge at the end with a guide that provides a structure for a book club for those interested. Overall, I enjoyed and recommend this book!

Many thanks to the publisher Ten Speed Press and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

I have never read a book that provides as many specific, tactical ideas and approaches to change in your life as this one! Robyn Conley Downs has done an incredible amount of research along with taking a hard look at challenges in her own life to write this book that provides so many research-based ideas to approach issues that we want to change in our own lives. I have followed her blog and real food-based recipes for years, even having the incredible opportunity to take a barre3 class with her in Portland, Oregon, and as much as I've always been impressed with the work she puts into the content she creates through recipes and her podcast, this book is incredible beyond belief. I want to read it again and again to help me develop concrete ideas for sustainable change in my life. Thank you, Robyn! You are going to impact so many people as a result of the amazing work you have created with this book!

The Feel Good Effect is a framework that combines mindset shifts and habit shifts to implement in your daily life that help create a sustainable, healthy lifestyle. Downs shares her personal journey to how she came to live a life free of the constant hustle and bustle, burnout, unrealistic expectations, striving and comparison. As a busy mom of four, I can relate completely to what she shared in the introduction about the start-slide-stop and desiring more peace and less chaos and exhaustion in the day to day. I want to be able to have tools to help me live a more peaceful, living in the moment kind of life and not constantly thinking of my to dos and what's next. Downs shares the steps to take to create small shifts that bring about big changes, so we are able to make time to stop and enjoy the here and now. I highly recommend this book and have it to be completely life giving. I will be referring back to this book often and implementing what I've learned.

This is the book I have been waiting for - a self-help book based on science with actionable steps - and I loved it.
I have been following Robyn's blog and listening to her podcast for a number of years and have enjoyed watching the evolution of her strength and messages. I am also a scientist and I really appreciated the tone of her writing and her detailed explanations. I struggle with a lot of the topics in this book, especially the "all or nothing thinking" and I can't wait to get started with some of her strategies. I highly recommend this book!

I am a project manager, a wife, a mother, and my own woman. I feel like I don’t get enough done to take care of everyone, I feel overwhelmed, and those things that I want to do for me, I didn’t do, because other things were more important. Robyn’s podcast came into my life at the perfect time and the book didn’t disappoint. A perfect combination of science and a conversation with your best friend. Robyn adds in direct and helpful exercises to help you make progress on your goals. I’ve felt more at ease and i know that I can invoke change in my life. Small shifts have meant everything. Thank you Robyn.

Thank you Robyn for writing this book! I have been following your work on social media for a few years and have learned many things, and it is such a great resource to have so many of your powerful ideas in one place that I can easily reference again and again. This book is full of practical and meaningful ways to live a life that feels more full and more fulfilling. I have already ordered copies of your book for many of the women in my life and know I will keep sharing it with others as a gift to help others live a life where they too "feel good".

Stop whatever you are doing and read this book! The current approach to wellness and health is not working. If you are ready to get off of the hamster wheel and start making changes that are sustainable, The Feel Good Effect is the approach you need.

The Feel Good Effect is a wonderfully written book with realistic tools for making lasting, positive change in your life. Robyn Conley Downs gives a refreshing perspective in the wellness space that feels achievable without being punitive. The framework on how to shift your mindset really resonated with me as it is something I struggle with. The steps are realistic and give the reader permission to be human and remind the reader that it takes time to make real change. Great book!

The Feel Good Effect explores wellness and being healthy in a way everyone can understand and embrace. The author communicates clearly and directly. I was familiar with many of her concepts, and found the details included in the book so helpful. I especially liked the exercises which are designed to personalize and optimize the Feel Good Effect techniques. They are quick and effective. This is one of my all time favorite non-fiction books. It will be a reference I refer to regularly.

Robyn is a voice of reason, calm, and a voice of support. I listen to her podcast weekly and still learned SO much in this book. You will be blessed and thank your future self for taking care of yourself body, mind and soul!

I absolutely loved The Feel Good Effect! I strongly believe this book is for everyone as it has so many good actionable tools! I love not only the researched-based information about things such as habits, routines and goal-setting, but the way Robyn gives you simple, actionable tools to implement them and succeed! I know I will refer back to this book over and over and use so many of the tools to make small shifts that lead to big changes in my life. Thank you Robyn for sharing your wisdom, love and authenticity with the world!

Reading Robyn's words are like having a conversation with your wisest friend, giving you the push you need to make the small shifts to change your life. The pushes are gentle, backed with science and research and make sense. Robyn's book is beautiful, easy to understand, and I know I will return to it, time and time again. Implementing the small shifts on day one of reading, and layering up, as it fits your life, has provided me with habits I'm certain will stick.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who is trying to live a more satisfying life. This book is beautifully broken down into each to graph concepts and fun to follow practices. I appreciate that Robyn uses research and practical guidance. I have lived with a striving mindset since I was a teenager and Robyn has given me the tools to see what areas in my life I'm really succeeding it and how to make practical changes that actually fit my life. I really enjoyed reading through each chapter and the book has the perfect amount of information to give you the tools to understand yourself better and what you can do going forwards. What I truly love about Robyn's approach is its about small changes, that take into account my life and what really matters for me.

This book was everything I’d hoped it would be and more. It was great to hear the author’s story, to learn about mindset .. and learn new things about myself as I read along. I found the book to be really reader friendly, giving a great easy to follow introduction to each topic, with examples, clear bright visuals, packed with tips and exercises that can be simple to achieve and are unique to each reader in supporting them in feeling good. I’ve already started to incorporate what I’ve learned from the book and I will share my new found knowledge in my role as a Health and Wellbeing Coach. This book is now an essential in my feel good kit, thank you so much Robyn.

WOW! During this quarantine I have used this time to work on myself and truly focus on me. This work is not easy by any means. I had finally gotten to a good place mentally but still felt flustered. I would make plans the night before for the next day and just wake up in a fog. I would sit around for hours until it was the end of the day, had nothing accomplished, then would have to rush around to get everything done. Since reading this book, it has honestly put EVERYTHING into perspective. From not trying to be “It” all, whatever “it” is. Understanding what YOU truly want is more important than anything. I’m so blessed to have come across Robyn on IG and just so happen to jump into her ambassadorship program for this book. I ordered a copy before I even knew about this. I will definitely be reading this again and making ALL KINDS OF NOTES when I get my hard copy. I can’t wait!! Robyn, I’m so proud of you! Thank you for writing something that we didn’t quite know we needed.